Link to download: Complaints Procedure
Nine Chambers – Complaints Procedure
1. What is the purpose of the complaints procedure?
1.1 Nine Chambers, its Barristers and staff aim to provide all our clients with excellent service. We strive to do everything we can to ensure your objectives are met – reliably and resourcefully.
1.2 We realise sometimes things do go wrong in legal practice and clients may be unhappy with the service provided by a Barrister or by Chambers.
1.3 This procedure is concerned with what happens if you feel the quality of the service we have provided or the representation provided by a Barrister has fallen short in some way.
1.4 The Legal Complaints Ombudsman stated that there is a need to “put the lay client at the centre of the picture” of any complaints process. As a Chambers, we endeavour to take this good advice and adopt a pro-active response to any complaint we receive.
1.5 Early and open communication is encouraged between client and Counsel to remedy most problems that arise, which may be due to straightforward misunderstandings. However, Chambers recognises that in some cases, a greater degree of formality may be needed to address the concern or complaint.
2. The purpose and scope of this procedure
2.1 The purpose of this procedure is to set out clearly how we deal with complaints about the quality of service provided to lay or professional clients.
2.2 This procedure does not cover other matters such as the negotiation of fees, complaints about the judiciary or complaints where compensation is claimed for loss or damage suffered as a result of a failure in service.
2.3 Should you consider your complaint to be a disciplinary matter or professional misconduct issue you may take your complaint up with the Bar Standards Board. For further information please visit: https://www.barstandardsboard.org.uk/for-the-public/reporting-concerns.html to complete the Online Reporting Form.
2.4 Nine Chambers will not ordinarily deal with complaints that fall outside of one year from the act or omission, or one year from when the complainant should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint save in exceptional circumstances.
2.5 The Head of Chambers or their delegate retains absolute discretion as to what constitutes exceptional circumstances.
2.6 Nine Chambers will not charge clients for the investigation of complaints or for the use of any mediation services.
2.7 Where a complaint includes elements relating to professional misconduct or professional negligence as well as elements of poor service, the service elements will be investigated in accordance with this procedure. Chambers will not decline to investigate service elements merely because the complaint also raises, or may raise, issues of misconduct or professional negligence.
2.8 Where a complaint raises an allegation of negligence, it may be appropriate to inform the Bar Mutual Indemnity Fund (BMIF) and to consult BMIF before any proposals for resolution are made to the client.
2.9 Where a complaint is received from a person who is not the barrister’s client, Chambers will make an initial assessment. If the issues raised cannot be satisfactorily resolved through this procedure, the complainant will be directed to the Bar Standards Board.
2.10 Where any aspect of a complaint falls outside the scope of this procedure, the complainant will be informed in writing of those aspects, together with information on how to contact the Legal Ombudsman and/or the Bar Standards Board as appropriate.
3. The informal stage
3.1 If a lay or professional client wishes to make a complaint about the quality of services provided by a member of Nine Chambers or its staff this should, in the first instance, be raised either in writing by email or telephone to the appropriate person being Chief Executive Officer, Senior Management Clerk, Chambers Manager or Head of Chambers.
3.2 Contact details for our staff and members can be found on our website – https://ninechambers.com/people/.
3.3 In order to deal effectively with a complaint that you wish to make, we need to know:
- your name and address;
- the name of the person you are complaining about (unless you are complaining directly to that person);
iii. details of the complaint;
- what you would like done about it;
- how you would like to receive a reply to your complaint (e-mail, letter or other);
- any adjustments to the complaints procedure you may require.
3.4 It is the responsibility of the Chief Executive Officer, Senior Managing Clerk, Chambers Manager or Head of Chambers to take early and effective action and most difficulties that arise are successfully dealt with in this way.
3.5 One of the Chief Executive Officer, Senior Managing Clerk, Chambers Manager or Head of Chambers will make contact with the client to discuss the concern and to understand what if anything has gone wrong. It may be necessary to request further information before providing a response.
3.6 Where a complaint is received by telephone, a contemporaneous note will be made recording: (a) the name and address of the complainant; (b) the date of the complaint; (c) the name of the person complained about; (d) the detail of the complaint; and (e) what the complainant would like done about it. The complainant will be informed that if the complaint is not resolved during that call, they may put it in writing so that it can be investigated formally, and a copy of this procedure will be sent to them.
3.7 The Chief Executive Officer, Senior Managing Clerk, Chambers Manager or Head of Chambers will endeavour to provide a response either by email or telephone within 14 working days of receipt.
3.8 Nine Chambers understands not all concerns require the application of a formal process and some issues may be capable of informal resolution. However, if you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the informal stage or wish for your concern to be dealt with formally, the second stage of the process is invoked.
4. The formal stage
4.1 The formal complaints process is dealt with by the Head of Chambers, who may carry out an investigation or delegate this task to another member of Chambers.
4.2 The Head of Chambers retains absolute discretion as to the handling and investigation of the complaints, in accordance with this process.
4.3 You may raise a complaint directly with the Head of Chambers in writing either by letter to the Chambers address or by email [email protected]
4.4 In order to deal effectively with a complaint that you wish to make, we would need to know:
- your name and address;
- the name of the person you are complaining about (unless you are complaining directly to that person);
iii. details of the complaint;
- what you would like done about it;
- how you would like to receive a reply to your complaint (e-mail, letter or other);
- any adjustments to the complaints procedure you may require.
4.5 The Head of Chambers will acknowledge receipt within 3 working days where possible, and in any event as soon as practicable, and confirm the complaint is being investigated. The Head of Chambers will also provide a copy of this procedure to the complainant, together with contact details for the Bar Standards Board.
4.6 The Head of Chambers or their delegate will investigate and consider all aspects of the complaint, obtaining further details from the client, member of Nine Chambers or member of staff as is considered necessary.
4.7 All relevant people should be given the opportunity to state their understanding on the circumstances of the complaint. Records are taken of all discussions, investigations, and notes relevant to the complaint.
4.8 The Head of Chambers or his delegate will determine the action, if any, to be taken to resolve the complaint.
4.9 A substantive response will be provided in writing, by the Head of Chambers or his delegate to the lay or professional client within 28 working days of the acknowledgment of the complaint or such longer time as may be reasonably necessary in all the circumstances.
4.10 The written response will prominently inform the complainant of their right to complain to the Legal Ombudsman if they remain dissatisfied, will set out the full contact details for the Legal Ombudsman, and will warn that any complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must be referred within 6 months of the date of this written response.
4.11 If the complaint involves the Head of Chambers, the Management Committee retains absolute discretion to appoint a senior member of Chambers to investigate.
4.12 If considered necessary by the Head of Chambers, either a face to face or telephone meeting with the lay or professional client will be arranged within 14 days of the outcome, to discuss the matter and finalise the resolution of the complaint.
5. Notifying Clients of the Right to Complain and Alternative Dispute Resolution
5.1 Nine Chambers will, at the time of instruction, or if not practicable at the next appropriate opportunity, clients will be notified in writing of: (a) their right to make a complaint, how and to whom this can be made, including their right to complain to the Legal Ombudsman at the conclusion of the complaints process; (b) the timeframe for doing so and full contact details for the Legal Ombudsman; and (c) the name and web address of an approved Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) body which could deal with any complaint in the event that Chambers cannot resolve it through this procedure and both parties agree to use such a scheme.
5.2 Lay clients may complain directly to Chambers or the Bar Standards Board without going through solicitors.
5.3 At the conclusion of the complaints process the complainant will be informed in writing of their right to complain to the Legal Ombudsman, the timeframe for doing so, and full contact details (see section 7 below). The complainant will also be informed of the name and web address of an approved ADR body.
6. Confidentiality
6.1 All conversations and documents relating to the complaint will be treated as confidential and will be disclosed only to the extent, and to the people, necessary in order to deal properly with the complaint.
6.2 We need to keep records of complaints that have been made, the way they have been dealt with and how they were resolved. Such records are confidential.
6.3 Where complaints reveal deficiencies and matters that require improvement, we may need to use the information derived from complaints in order to work out appropriate solutions and improve our performance. However, as noted above, when that occurs, any information that is disseminated will be anonymised so as to preserve confidentiality.
6.4 The Chambers’ Manager is responsible for ensuring that all complaints are recorded and for maintaining copies of all notes, correspondence and documents regarding a complaint in a central file together with a register of all formal complaints.
6.5 All complaints records will be retained for a period of six years. The management committee will inspect an anonymised record of complaints regularly (and at least annually), with a view to improving services and identifying any training issues.
7. Complaints to the Legal Ombudsman
7.1 We hope this procedure will deal appropriately with any complaint that you make. However, if you are unhappy with the outcome, you may wish to make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman is responsible for dealing with complaints about the services provided to clients by all legal professionals. The Legal Ombudsman requires you to take up your complaint with us in the first place.
7.2 You may complain to the Legal Ombudsman if unhappy with the outcome of a complaint, or when a complaint has not been dealt with within eight weeks.
7.3 From 1 April 2023, the time limit for referring a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman is not later than one year from the date of the act or omission being complained of or where the complainant should have realised that there was cause for complaint.
7.4 You can contact the Legal Ombudsman at:
Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6167
Slough
SL1 0EH
Telephone: 0300 555 0333
Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Email: [email protected]
Updated – 11th June 2026 (updated in accordance with BSB First-Tier Complaints Handling Guidance, June 2026)
